Pipe fitting cleaner



13, 1940. c, NUNZlATQ -2,190,'2l6

PIPE FITTING CLEANER Filed Sept. 20, 1938 g VWM/VTM www (5dr-f6.9 /Vunz da 'Sims ,rms

Patented 13, i `12940 PIPE .FITTniiG CLEANER Charles llvunziato,` Yonkers, N." Y.`

` t applicationsepiembelzo, 1938, sena1No.230,s5s y i1 claim.` (c1. 15'211) i I, Thisinvention relates'to improvements in devices or tools for cleaning and polishing the interior surfaces of tubular bodies.

In the use of copper tubing or pipes for water systems, it is highly important in joining the ends of pipes with couplings, where the pipe ends are inserted into the couplings, that the contacting or opposing surfaces of the pipe and coupling are perfectly clean and smooth, otherwise it will be extremely diicult or impossible to eifect a tight soldered joint between the two pieces. Such copper fittings are not connected together by screw threads asin ordinary ironpipe systems but are connected by soldering and for this reason the smoothness of the contacting surfaces is of importance. A y 1 Thepresent invention has for its primary object to provide a device which is designed to replace the use by hand of sandpaper, emery` cloth or steel wool 4forsmoothng out the interior surfaces cf couplings by providing a holder fora mass of steel wool which is designed to be inserted into Va couplingV and, when rotated, to ythoroughly clean and polish the interior surface of the same. y

Another object of the invention is to provide a steel wool carrier fcrthe purpose described in which asurplus of the abrasive material may be storedjand advanced into 'working position as the material is used up, thereby insuring a ready supply of abrasive for use overa comparatively long periodV of time. l

The invention will behest understood from a consideration of the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing forming part of this specicationvwith the understanding, however, that the invention ent features of the is not to be conned to any strict conformity with the showing of the drawing but may be changed ormodied so` long as such changes or modifications markl no material departure from the saliinvention as expressed in the appended c1aim.`

1n the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a View in'elevation of the device einbodying they presentfinvention showing the same in working position with respect to a copper pipe coupling, the latter `being partiallyin secl tion.4

Fig.' 3 is a horizontal section on the "line 3;-'3 `Of Fig. 2. l l l present invention while Y A i nates a T-coupling of the type employed in joinhere shown as tubular receptacle, being fastenedby cutting out` swivelly connected with a Fig. 2 is "a sectionalview on the line 2-2 of Fig.` 1 through theimplement per se.

A Referring to thek drawing, `the numeral l gena erally designates the implement `embodying the the numeral 2 desiging `copper piping; `The device @consistsl cfa receptacle body 3 which is hereshown as being in the form of a cylinder, from oneend of which' there extends the elongated U-shaped yoke Il having the two parallel side `portions 5 and. the

cross connecting end portions 6. `This*l yoke `is forming anvintegral part ofv the the sides ofthe cylinder formingthe receptacle so as to` leave the opposite spaced parallel por# tions forming the parts 5 and then turning; in portions of the ends of these side parts to form the cross piece 6. However, it is to beunde'rstood that the invention is not to be limited to this specific construction as it will be obviousthat the receptacle 3 may constitute a unit separate from vthe yoke 4 to which the yoke `may be securedgby soldering or in any other suitable manner.` How-y ever, the width` of the yoke Il is substantially equal to the interior diameter of the` end ofthe fitting 2 which is to be cleaned so that this yoke may be extended into .thetting and rotated so as to maintain proper alinement therewith and soas to wipe the interior surface of the tting with the steelwool material 1 whichf is compressed in the yoke.`

Thejsteelwool 4'I is placedwithin the recepf,`

tacle 3 and is rforced therefrom into the yoke by means Vof the pusher or follower 8 which is screw 9 which passes through and has threaded `connection with the nut portion l0 of a cap ll. The cap il is thread-` ed onto the end of the receptacle 3 'opposite from the yoke 4 as shown, and screw 9 has the finger piece l2 by which theturning ofthe screw is facilitated. y y

`In ordertofmake the turning of the device easier. the'cylinder is provided at opposite sides withy the laterallyprojecting longitudinally ex` I 3. These wings may be formed in tending wings any suitable manner but they are here shown as each Aconsisting of an elongated piece of metal the outer` end of the` bent along a line extending longitudinally therel of and midway fof the side edges so as to form the. body shown in'Fig; 3, which /is of V-shape cross section, theedge or apex of the V `being `directed outwardly whilethe longitudinal edges of the piece` ofy metal are disposed against `the wall of the cylinder `and secured thereto in any This method of forming the l wings insures the production `of a body which is suitable manner.

free of sharp edges which would hurt thehands 'of the user and is in addition an easy and economical wayof making the wings which constitute thehand grip portions of the device.

From the foregoing, it is believed that the operation of the device will be readily understood as it is apparent that after a mass of the steel wool 1 has'been forced down into the yoke 4, the yoke is inserted into the end of the fitting and the entire implement is turned until the desired smoothness of the fitting surface has been obtained and as the steel Wool wears away, more may be forced from the receptacle by turning the screw 9 so that the user is always certain of having a rrn contact between the steel wool mass and the-wall o the fitting against which the abrasive contacts.

What is claimed is: o i A device for cleaning the interior surface of a tubular body, comprising a cylindrical receptacle open at one end, a cap covering the other end of the receptacle and having a threaded nut as an integral portion thereof, a screw extending 1ongitudinally into the receptacle through and in threaded connection with saidfnut, a headcarried on the inner end of said screw and slidable in the'receptacle, an elongated frame extending from the open end of the receptacle and comprising two longitudinally extending side portions forming continuations of the wallof the receptacle and a cross connecting portion between the side portions at the ends thereof remote from the receptacle, and a body of abrasive material filling said frame and extending into the receptacle and adapted to be forced from the receptacle into the frame as necessary to maintain the frame 4 lled. 

